Onychectomy
Declawing

Introduction

Pre-Operative Care

Description of Surgery

Prognosis

Post-Operative Care

Prevention

Introduction: Declawing is the permanent surgical removal of an animal’s front toenails. Owners often opt for this procedure in order to curtail a cat’s persistent scratching of furniture or people, climbing up window treatments, and other damage caused by a cat’s natural instinct to mark its territory.  Declawing should only be performed on those pets that will be kept strictly indoors. Cats that have a chance of getting outside should not be declawed, since their ability to climb out of harm's way or defend themselves in a battle will be compromised. Younger, smaller animals tolerate declawing better than those that have matured into adulthood or are overweight.  Pre-Operative Care: Your veterinarian can discuss declawing vs. non-surgical alternatives during a pre-surgical visit.  This visit provides an opportunity to discuss any specific concerns regarding each individual pet.  Older animals are required to have pre-operative bloodwork prior to the procedure, and it is strongly recommended for all pets.  Depending upon the age and/or health of the pet, chest x-rays, a urinalysis, an ECG, and other lab tests may be requested prior to the procedure to identify and address any underlying diseases. Description: Declawing is performed under general anesthesia.  Often, the procedure is combined with neutering or spaying.  An additional local anesthetic is applied in a ring around each wrist to minimize the post-operative pain response to the procedure.  During surgery, a tourniquet is applied to the leg to control bleeding. The entire toenail and last bone of each digit is removed either by cutting the ligaments of the joint using a scalpel, or by making a cut with a sterilized nail trimmer. Care is taken to spare the toenail pads during the surgery.  Each incision is then closed using surgical glue. A pressure bandage is applied to each foot to control postoperative bleeding.  The bandages are removed the following day by the veterinary staff and the cat is monitored for bleeding. While the pet is hospitalized, medications are administered in order to control pain. Prognosis: Declawing is a very painful procedure.  Each veterinarian will have their own pain management protocol.  With pain management, most cats recover fully from the procedure within 10 to 14 days. Cats that have matured into adulthood, are overweight, or do not have the benefits of pain management will take longer to fully recover and may have more post-operative complications.  Some cats will remain tender on their toes for up to 12 weeks.  Although the claws have been removed, instinctively the cat will continue to scratch and knead as it did before, without causing any damage. Possible complications of declawing include bleeding, infection, pain, re-growth of a nail or nails, chronic lameness, and avoidance of litter box.  Most of these can be prevented by careful surgical technique, proper post-operative care, and good pain management. If the proper precautions are taken, the risk of complications is minimal. Post-Operative Care: Most veterinarians will keep your cat hospitalized for the first 12-24 hours after surgery to monitor for any of the more serious complications.  Once the cat comes home, its activity level should be minimized for the first two weeks. Shredded newspaper or a commercially available newspaper pellet litter (Yesterdays News©) should be used in ALL litter boxes, instead of cat litter, for 2 weeks following the procedure. Regular cat litters can become embedded in the incisions, resulting in infection.  No cleaning or soaking of paws should be performed without veterinary supervision.  After the procedure, mild to moderate limping may occur after the cat jumps down from heights. However, the cat should be examined by a veterinarian if the lameness is severe or persistent.  To ensure a smooth recovery, the veterinarian’s pain management protocol should be continued at home. Prevention: Owners often opt for this procedure in order to curtail a cat’s persistent scratching of furniture or people, climbing up window treatments, and other damage caused by a cat’s natural instinct to mark its territory. There are non-surgical alternatives to declawing such as behavioral training, routine nail trims, and Soft Paws© (protective tips for your cat’s nails). Contact your veterinarian to see if any of these alternatives may be appropriate for your cat.

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